Variable-speed gear.



EATENTEE MAR. 6, 1906.

No. 814L060.

0. E. G. Eow.

VARIABLE SPEED GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, 1903.

mm RLES FREDERICK GEMLEY LOW - cles and the v specification.

barrel d UNITED STAT PATENT OFFIOF.

CHARLES FREDERICK GEllLEY LOW OF CHARLTON, ENGLAND.

' VARIABLE-SPEED GEAR.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 29, 1903. Serial No. 171,241.

Patented March 6, 1906.

To all whom it 11mg concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES FREDERICK GEMLEY Low, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Charlton, in the county of Kent, En land, have invented a new and useful Varia le-Speed Gear for Motor-Vehi- Like, of which the following is a This invention relates to an improved variable gear, and has for its object the provision of a simple and convenient means of va rying the-ratio of the speed of the motor to the speed of the driven wheel to any degree between the limits of the mechanism.

In order that this my said invention may be themorereadily understood and carried 'into practical eflect,.reference is hereby made to t e accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevational-view of the essential feature of my invention, Fig. 2 being a sectional View thereof on line A B of Fig. 1, while Fig. 3 is a side elevational view showin the application of my invention.

eferringto the drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts wherever occurring, 0, represents a motor, and b the wheel which the motor is arranged to drive.

In a convenient position between the motor a and the driven wheel I) a hinged or, if desirable, sliding bracket 0 is arranged. Upon the upper end 0 this bracket 0 a rigid spindle c.is carried, and u on the spindle c a suitably-shaped disk formed integral with a barrel (1, is revolubly held. Theend of the illustrative All the disks (1, e, and f are rovided with slots d, e, and f, which are o the same diameter and are of a sha e in section substantially as shown by the rawings, so that two belt-paths are provided by .the three disks. In one of the \fshaped belt-paths thus formed the belt h om the motor-pulley a is double pulley and retamin it in arty remote from the disk (1 is reduced 'and'screw-threaded, as at d, while aportion arranged, and in the other the driving-belt 'i,

passin around the pulley b of the .driven wheel is arranged.

The variations in the speed of the driven wheel I) are effected by the movement'of the double pulley, formed by the disks d, e, andf,

. as before described, farther from or nearer to the motor.

' If the hinged or sliding bracket 0 is moved so that the spindle c, and consequently the double pulley, formed by the disks (1, e, and f, is caused to move nearer to the motor, the driving-belt 'i will be tightened, and this, acting between the belt-face e of the central disk e and the belt-face f of the dlsk f, Wlll cause the'disk e to move laterally, thus decreasin the diameter of the driving-belt path.

The ateral movement of the disk e Wlll at the same time correspondingly increase the diameter of the belt-path, around which the belt h from the motor passes, and conse quently the gear will be lowered.

It will be readily understood that f the bracket 0 is moved in the opposite d rection away from the motor the reverse action will take place and the gear willbe raised. It 1s also obvious that the degree of variations will depend on the distance the double pulley ismoved one way or the other.

This invention is mainly intended for use on motor-bicycles and light motor-cars, and various means may be employed for moving the desired position. As an example, t e hinge bracket 0 may be normally maintained by means of the spring with the twin'pulley 1n=1ts'pos1- tion'nearest to the motor, an the driven wheel b will revolve at its lowest speed. When it is desired to increase the s eed of the wheel I), the position of the hinge bracket 0 is altered by means of the lever so that the twin pulley is carried, in opposition to the spring j, farther from the motor, when, as aforesaid, the motor-belt ath Wlll contract and the driving-belt patli correspondingly expand, and consequently the gear of the machine will be raised.

Suitable means may tainin the lever 7c in any desired os1t1on such, for instance, as a toothed rac k, 0 erating in conjunction with a spring-paw is, earned by the said lever is.

, What I desire to secure by Letters Patent is- In a variable-speed gear, the combination of a disk formed integral with one end of a be employed for re-' barrel revolubly mounted upon a spindle earried by a movable braeket, said disk having a belt-fare, the barrel; the spindle; a-seeond disk in rigid eom'ieetionwith theopposite end of said barrel and havin g a belt-lace; a third disk having two beIt-I'aee and held to slide upon the said revolving barrel between the two said 'Iixed end disks, the threedisks forming two belt -paths, around one of which passes the belt from the motor and around the other passes the belt to the driven wheel; with a movable bracket carrying the spindle on whieh is mounted the said revoluble barrel, whereby the position of the axis of the l pulley is altered inrelation to the position of 15 the motor; and the means For alterin; the position of the movable braeket; and the means for retaining same in any position within the limits of its movement{substantiallyasspeei 1 lied. 20

In testimony whereof I have. signed my name to this speeilieation in the presenee of two subseribing witnesses.

CHARLES EREDERIUK til'llllilu'i' LOW.

Witnesses:

A. MONTAGUE BRADLEY, HERBERT Ruem's. 

